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Momodou
Denmark
11713 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Oct 2013 : 13:00:43
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UDP reacts to Gov. allegations of image tarnishing
By Njie Baldeh
The Point: Published on Wednesday, October 09, 2013
 The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) have finally come public to react to a series of allegations by the government, and the arrest of one of its executive members, over allegations that it was engaged in providing false attestations for would-be asylum seekers using the party.
Addressing a press conference attended by over a hundred UDP supporters at his residence in Kairaba Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, Ousainou Darboe Secretary General and party leader of the UDP, refuted the allegations, noting that the UDP has been unjustifiably painted as a tribal party.
The Gambia government on Friday issued a statement in which, among others, it accused former colonial master Britain and Washington of backing “so-called Gambians to set up organisations and media facilities to spread nothing but lies against The Gambia by making false, outrageous and unfounded statements about the state of human rights.”
‘‘These people and institutions specialize in lying and providing false attestations for would-be asylum seekers using the main opposition party (UDP) as a platform for such nefarious activities, thereby casting a very bad and negative image of both the Government and noble people of The Gambia,’’ the government said.
Responding to the government’s allegations, Darboe said the image of any government is built by the government itself, and how citizens are treated is how the image of any government is projected.
The UDP leader recalled that three people and a host of others, including an imam, were arrested just for belonging to the UDP party and subjected to the most gruesome treatment, something he described as the most disgraceful thing that the APRC government has done in this country.
‘‘If anybody has to write an attestation to tarnish the image of this country, has the government itself not tarnished its own image by the way it treated Imam Karamo Touray and others,’’ he stated.
He also recalled that one Kanyiba Kanyi, a UDP militant, was arrested by the APRC regime on the 18th September 2006 for just mounting a campaign against the regime that it does not deserve the mandate of the Gambian people.
Kanyi, the UDP leader said, “has never been released and has disappeared from the surface of this earth despite confirmation by then Interior Minister Baboucarr Jatta that he gave instructions for Kanyi’s arrest”.
‘‘Does anybody need to say anything about this government by way of tarnishing its image? The Government itself tarnished its own image,’’ he added.
According to him, the UDP is not only concerned about what the APRC regime has done to its supporters, but others as well, including Duta Kamaso and Ramzia Diab, former parliamentarians.
‘‘This government has itself been its own enemy; it has itself been engaged in systematic tarnishing of its own image, and thinking that by so doing they will instill fear in the population so that no one dare challenge them,’’ he stated.
Noting that arrests and so forth are part of the life of a politician, Darboe said the only thing that they will shy away from; that they will be embarrassed about, is to have committed crimes, particularly crimes involving fraud.
‘‘But other than that, we will never feel embarrassed for being arrested and, in any case, what has happened to Amadou Sanneh, as seen on the television, is not the way any responsible government should treat its citizens,’’ he told journalists.
‘‘When shown on TV, there was a point when Amadou was even collapsing, and one could see the condition he was in, which can lead one to speculate that - was he not tortured or have some other thing being done to him?’’ he said.
The government, he went on, has exposed its own colours; that it is a government that has no regard for the rule of law, and this is what has made people afraid of living in this country.
‘‘Did Amadou Sanneh write any false statement? Information we have is that what he wrote on paper was what he was told by Alagie Sambou Fatty; that the chap was so terrorized by a security officer in his village of Bantanto, someone who they claim is a citizen of Bansang and yet a member of the youth wing of the APRC party; that it was out of fear of harassment of this chap that he made this statement to Amadou, and Amadou believed it,’’ he stated.
This, the UDP leader went further, is what Amadou Sanneh was told and that was what he wrote, but the fact that he said the life of the chap was threatened and so forth is not an issue that in their view would be tarnishing the image of our country, because they have lost one of their supporters, and they also had information from government itself of people who they claim to have disappeared.
Source: The Point
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2013 : 15:04:31
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With this statement from Lawyer Darboe, am more proud of being a UDP member than ever before. Saddened though by the untimely demise of Shygle Nyassi. May his gentle soul rest in eternal peace.
Ameen |
I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2013 : 23:22:42
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FOROYAA PUBLISHED A MORE DETAIL, INFORMATIVE AND A VERY IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE OF UDP LEADER LAWYER OUSAINOU DARBOE ON PRESS CONFERENCE; REPORTED UNDER:
UDP HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE
The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), yesterday, Tuesday, 8 October 2013 convened a press conference at the residence of its party leader on Kairaba Avenue to respond to recent developments concerning the party and its leadership.
Addressing the members of the press which started around 4pm, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, Secretary General and party leader of the UDP, disclosed that he was contacted by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) yesterday to report to their office for questioning in an ongoing investigation and that he has agreed to meet them today in the morning.Talking about the image of the country, the UDP Secretary General said some few days before the demise of Mr. Momodou Lamin Nyassi, alias Shyngle Nyassi, the late Nyassi was vilified and described as a common criminal and unpatriotic for allegedly making attestations for people involved in tarnishing the image of the country.
“I believe that any government’s image is built by the government itself. How you treat your citizens that is how your image is projected. Did anybody have to write an attestation to tarnish the image of the government? This government has already tarnished its image,” he said. Lawyer Darboe cited the case of some people who, he said, were arrested such as the late Imam Karamo Touray of Brikama together with Pa Assan Sanneh, Khalifa Jatta and others for belonging to the UDP.
He also cited the arrest of Yusupha Cham, Wassa Janneh, the late Shyngle Nyassi, Dembo Ara Sanneh and Sarjo Kunjang Sanneh who, he said, were taken to the NIA and brutalized while they were engaged in organising a UDP congress in Brikama, adding that Sarjo Kunjang Sanneh was unfortunate for having been unable to survive the brutalization meted on them. The UDP party leader said no one needs to write an attestation to tarnish the image of the government, but that the government itself did it. Lawyer Darboe also said Kanyiba Kanyi was arrested by the regime on the 18 September 2006 for mounting a campaign against them, arguing that the current regime does not deserve the mandate of the Gambian people.
He said the former Minister of the Interior Baboucarr Jatta himself said he gave the order for Kanyiba’s arrest and that since then he has never been released. He also cited the case of the likes of Duta Kamasu, Ramzia Diab who, he said, were arrested and humiliated. “This government has itself been its own enemy; it has itself been engaged in the systematic tarnishing of its own image and thinking that by so doing they will instill fear in the population so that no one dares challenge them. But yes this arrest and so forth are part of the life of a politician.
The only thing that we will shy away from, that we will be embarrassed about is to have committed crimes, particularly crimes involving fraud. This we will be embarrassed of being involved in those things, but other than that we do not feel embarrassed being arrested of anything and in any case what has happened to Amadou Sanneh, we have all seen it on TV. Is that the way that any government, any responsible administration should treat its citizens?” Lawyer Darboe questioned.
According to him, there was a stage during the time they were shown on TV when Amadou Sanneh looked like someone who was collapsing but the camera was then focused away from him. He suggested that the condition that he was would leave one speculating. He questioned what impression someone in any part of the world will have about this government, adding that the government has exposed itself.He asserted Amadou Sanneh did not write any false statement; that the information they have is what is written on the papers; is what he was told by Sambou Fatty and his brother who is from Bantanto, which he said has the worst treatment from the regime.
He indicated that Mr Fatty claimed that his life was threatened and Amadou believed it. This, Darboe went on, is not an issue that will tarnish the image of the country. He said they have lost one of their supporters and they have also seen or heard information from government of people whom they said disappeared while being transported to Georgetown but none of them have been arrested or prosecuted for negligence of duties.
The UDP Secretary General said these are things that have tarnished the image of the country and will continue to be in the minds of people. He also recalled the April 10 and 11 incident in which some students were killed and others injured in the incident. Darboe said he is proud to be a Mandinka. “The APRC has said that UDP is a Mandinka party. I want to say one thing here quite clearly that I am very, very proud to be a Mandinka. Those who are not proud of their tribe are really people worth nothing, those of us who are Mandinkas and know the values of Mandinkas, we cherish and are thankful to God for making us Mandinkas and that does not mean that those that are not Mandinkas would not cherish the values of their tribes,” said Darboe. He said they have always been consistent in their view that tribalism has no place in the Gambia.The UDP party leader said they have interest in the stability of the country and that is why they have never advocated tribalism which the late Syngle Nyassi has fought against and they will continue to fight for. He added that cheap propaganda is not what is going to solve the problem of the country. He said instead of government addressing the condition of the ferries, spiraling cost of living, condition of the hospitals, low quality of the education system, it is using tribalism to deceive people. Darboe said they did not subscribe to favouring their tribe instead they subscribe to favouring Gambians irrespective of their tribal affiliation.
He advised government to focus on the declining economy, the bad state of the roads, and the infrastructure which, he added, are in a state of decay. He said what they want is for the diverse people to be united to achieve the common goals. Further on the situation of Amadou Sanneh, Darboe said a motion has been filed for his release either conditionally or unconditionally and that a bail application has been filed pending charges filed against him.On the late Shyngle Nyassi, the leader and Secretary General of the United Democratic Party (UDP) told journalists that it was around 11 pm on Sunday when he received a phone call from the United States of America from the former President of the National Female Youth Wing of their party who broke the news of the sudden death of Shyngle Nyassi.
He described the death of Shyngle as one of the events that would never be forgotten in the history of the country. He described the late Nyassi as a political institution in the country.
He added that Nyassi represents the face of their struggle against tyranny, injustice, inequity and tribalism. He said Nyassi condemned tribalism and never hid his abhorrence for those who advocate tribalism and those who believe that their political anchor can only be tribalism. Darboe said Nyassi was a man who suffered, lived and died for this nation. His type, he went on, will be hard to get. He also described him as a man who is honest, content, and humble, focused and has devoted all his life to the politics of this country.
“He was never influenced by any material consideration,” said Lawyer Darboe.
He said Nyassi was always consistent and adheres to his beliefs and has never believed that tribe should count in any matter in this country and never considered UDP as a tribal party. His loss, he went on, is to the whole nation, noting that what Nyassi was pursuing was for the benefit of the whole country. He said the people in the United States will hold prayers next Friday for the late Nyassi at the mosque. On the issue of the burial of the late Nyassi, Darboe told reporters that arrangements have been made for the body to come home by Saturday and for burial on Sunday, depending on when the body will arrive in the country. He said his remains cannot be laid to rest anywhere other than the country where he belongs.
THE COMMONWEALTH
On the issue of Gambia’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth, the UDP party leader described the move as unfortunate and thus expressed hope that the country does not withdraw from it. He said the reason why the government wants to withdraw from the Commonwealth is that it does not want any peer review. “To be part of the Commonwealth, you will be put under constant scrutiny by your fellow peers on your record on the observance of the rule of law, democratic practices, your drive and fight against corruption, how much effort you are putting against drug and drug trafficking .
All these are things that members of the Commonwealth carry along as one’s responsibility,” he said. Lawyer Darboe said the government is not interested in having a Human Rights Commission and that is the reason why they are withdrawing from the Commonwealth and by doing so, the Commonwealth can never have leverage on them for failing to establish the Human Rights Commission. He said the values of the Commonwealth which involves human rights, justice, fair treatment are not alien to Africans. He added that whatever one does is to cement those concepts that have been followed by Africans even before the advent of colonialism. He said complaints could have been lodged at the Human Rights Commission such as the illegal detention of Amadou Sanneh and Fatou Camara, the illegal closure of media houses amongst others.
According to Darboe, being a member of the Commonwealth, the country has a lot to benefit from, citing the scholarships which, he said, he has even benefited from. He also noted the Commonwealth Judges coming to the Gambia to work in the Judiciary.
He said they are in the game of politics and that they know the risk involved in it. The press briefing was also graced by a representative from the US embassy as well as UDP party supporters.
SOURCE: Foroyaa Burning Issues
Author:By Amie Sanneh
RESPECT! Aluta continua! |
Edited by - kobo on 10 Oct 2013 05:55:14 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 12 Oct 2013 : 03:08:38
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APRC National Mobiliser responds to UDP claims
The National mobiliser of the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Re-orientation and Construction (APRC), Yankuba Colley, has reacted to comments made by the leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Ousainou Darboe, who claimed that the alleged asylum scam involving members of his party are not true and that the government is using his party as a propaganda tool to mislead the people.
Darboe, leader of the main opposition party in a recent interview with some local papers, had said the government of The Gambia should stop what he referred to as “misleading people”.
But speaking to this reporter in a recent interview at his office, Colley, who also doubles as the mayor of the Kanifing Municipality, dismissed the claims made by Darboe as baseless and unfortunate. He pointed out that the people involved in the asylum scam had already admitted to have committed the offence and confessed before the entire nation, and consequently sought for clemency from the leadership.
Mayor Colley told the Daily Observer that it was a ‘day dream’ for Darboe to say that the scam involving his party members are not true, adding that he (Darboe) was just threatened by the future of his party since the scam has put the credibility of the UDP in shambles.......
SOURCE: Pro-Government Daily Observer News & Read full report |
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